West Cork retailer Sean Murray hooks new world record for opening bras

West Corkman Sean Murray breaks the world record for opening bras in aid of breast cancer charityIrish Examiner

A Corkman is heading for the Guinness Book of Records – thanks to the world’s fastest hands when it comes to unhooking a bra!

West Cork retailer Sean Murray has given a whole new meaning to the Erin Go Bra saying thanks to his record attempt in his hometown of Skibbereen.

The proprietor of Sean Murray Fashions hopes to enter the Guinness Book of Records after a month long campaign to raise funds for a breast cancer charity.

Keen to boost funds for the campaign, Sean has told the Irish Examiner how he ‘turned his talents to the kind of challenge most men can only dream of - unclasping as many bras as possible in one minute’.

He managed to unclasp 91 double hooked bras with one hand in his shop on Saturday afternoon and broke the existing world record of opening 69 bras in 60 seconds.

He was aided in his efforts by 56 volunteers, mostly women.

In preparation for his world record attempt, Sean enlisted the help of some female staff at his West Cork shop – and nine mannequins.

He even closed his shop for half an hour every morning to facilitate training for the big event.

Murray revealed: “We’d line up the nine mannequins and two or three of the female staff stripped down to their bras and I practiced on them, with one of the male staff doing the time-keeping. It was a good team-building exercise!

His wife Maria offered Sean her full support for the unique fund raising effort.

He added: “When we were pooling fundraising ideas at the start of the year, this one came up. I thought she should do it but she said I should. I didn’t complain. Physically, she was behind me the whole way.”

The Irish Examiner reports that the volunteers who took part were given the choice of stripping down to their bras or wearing t-shirts with holes cut in the back to preserve their modesty.

All money raised at the event will go to Get the Girls, the Irish Cancer Society’s breast cancer awareness campaign.

As he awaits confirmation of a new record from the Guinness organisation, Sean laughed: “I would like to thank Playtex for their support, quite literally.”

A video of the event and evidence of timekeepers is to be sent to the Guinness Book of Records for verification.

As regards his plans to raise more funds next year, Skibbereen’s very own ‘bra man’ told the paper he is keeping his plans ‘close to my chest.’

West Corkman Sean Murray breaks the world record for opening bras in aid of breast cancer charityIrish Examiner